How much risk is there to break a fireing pin on dry firing a Garand?

[Bexar]

Empty chamber no snap cap.

Thanks...Bexar

 

[Lafitte]

Based on my experience with them in the army, I would say that the probability of breaking a firing pin on one is very low to none.

Lafitte

 

[stoky]

IMHO, not any more risk than firing, but it does count toward eventual breakage. An extra firing pin is worth having on hand.

 

[Bart B.]

People have dry fired M1s, M14s, M1As and bolt action rifles thousands of times over years of use. Nobody I know of ever replaced a broken firing pin. That includes me. They do it 30 to 60 ord more times a rifle match; they shoot a dozen or two matches per year.

There's more stress on firing pins when used on live ammo than dry firing.

 

[The Alaskan]

People have dry fired M1s, M14s, M1As and bolt action rifles thousands of times over years of use. Nobody I know of ever replaced a broken firing pin. That includes me. They do it 30 to 60 ord more times a rifle match; they shoot a dozen or two matches per year.

There's more stress on firing pins when used on live ammo than dry firing.

Uhh. No.

First of all, I used to compete with an M1 Garand and I don't recall anyone dry firing any rifle as much as you claim.

Second, there is always more stress on a firing pin during dry fire than during live fire because the primer absorbs much of the shock and impact of the pin slamming forward. Without that live round or snap cap (with the internal spring, which is what absorbs the shock) then you're putting more stress on the pin. That goes for any gun.

 

[Orlando]

Match shooters dry fire as much as they put live rds down the tube. I have done it for years and never broke a firing pin yet
If you decide you want a spare PM me I have extra pins I will sell you cheap

 

[Vern Humphrey]

First of all, I used to compete with an M1 Garand and I don't recall anyone dry firing any rifle as much as you claim.

Second, there is always more stress on a firing pin during dry fire than during live fire because the primer absorbs much of the shock and impact of the pin slamming forward. Without that live round or snap cap (with the internal spring, which is what absorbs the shock) then you're putting more stress on the pin. That goes for any gun.

You are correct on both counts.

However the Army dry-fired the stem-winding piss out of the M1. When I went through Basic and Advanced Infantry training, we dry-fired them thousands of times -- it was called "snapping in." There were all sorts of dry-fire exercises, such as shooting with a dime balanced on the barrel -- the object being that the dime not fall off.

And I don't ever recall breaking a firing pin.

 

[The Alaskan]

There were all sorts of dry-fire exercises, such as shooting with a dime balanced on the barrel -- the object being that the dime not fall off.

And I don't ever recall breaking a firing pin.

Yup. We did it with pennies. (Budget cuts). And no, I don't recall any broken pins, either.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Uhh. No.

First of all, I used to compete with an M1 Garand and I don't recall anyone dry firing any rifle as much as you claim.

Second, there is always more stress on a firing pin during dry fire than during live fire because the primer absorbs much of the shock and impact of the pin slamming forward. Without that live round or snap cap (with the internal spring, which is what absorbs the shock) then you're putting more stress on the pin. That goes for any gun.

When I went into the Army in 1961, I was issued an M1 Garand Serial# 1015438. Yes, I'm 73 years old now, retired from the Army in 1981 and I still remember my first issued rifle's serial number and my Regular Army serial number was RA17600565. Those were drilled into you so much in Basic Training that they are almost impossible to forget.

We trained incessantly with the M1 Garands and every time the rifle's bolt was opened for inspection and snapped down after the bolt was closed, effectively dry firing the weapon. This was an absolute requirement. It cost many push ups if one was caught with a closed bolt and the weapon still cocked. I carried that M1 throughought basic training, dry fired it hundreds of times, put 3 or 4 thousand rounds through it in marksmanship training and qualification. No telling how many trainees had been issued that particular M1 before I got it or after I graduated from Basic but I'm absolutely sure it was dry fired many many thousands of times. I'd almost bet if someone comes across that particular serial number today it would likely have the same firing pin in it that it had when issued to me in 1961. The same goes for the M1 Carbine and later the M14 that I was issued and dry fired much more than ever fired on the range and neither of them ever broke a firing pin either.

Not saying it doesn't happen, but military rifles were (and are) built to take that kind of operation as long as you keep them clean and properly lubricated so I might think about having a spare firing pin on hand if I owned an M1 today, but I certainly would not stop dry firing it just to appease someone who thinks they weren't rugged enough to stand up to that kind of abuse.

SFC A. J. Sheldon, USA Retired

 

[Slamfire]

Firing pins break, mine broke during a 100 yard reduced Highpower match. Always carry spares and don't expect one to last forever.

 

[AK103K]

I broke one on a heavily fired and dry fired M1A. Broke the tip of the pin off. It was a GI firing pin too, if it matters.

Ive dry fired M1's, M14's, and M1A's my entire life, and pretty heavily too, and other than a catastrophic slam fire with an M1 during a match, that was the only other instance of ever breaking anything.

If youre worried about it, they do make a dry fire device that eliminates the problem, and makes it a lot easier to reset the hammer too, as the bolt only moves rearward about a 1/4".

http://www.fulton-armory.com/dryfiredeviceform1m14andm1afultonarmory.aspx

 

[The Alaskan]

When I went into the Army in 1961, I was issued an M1 Garand Serial# 1015438. Yes, I'm 73 years old now, retired from the Army in 1981 and I still remember my first issued rifle's serial number and my Regular Army serial number was RA17600565. Those were drilled into you so much in Basic Training that they are almost impossible to forget.

I just want to say thank you for sharing this with us. It made me think of my Dad, long since passed, who joined in 1946. He, too could remember the s/n to his M1 rifle. He told it to me once, but I quickly forgot it. He also remembered his Army S/N, which I do still recall, and it was the same format and number of digits as yours, although much lower.

I still remember the rack number for my M-16 from Basic Training at Ft. Jackson, but that's about all I remember.

 

[Bexar]

Thanks guys...Bexar

 

[tark]

I have been to very few CMP matches, so I can't say I know a lot about them, or how the competitors practice, but I have never seen any one dry fire at a match. Why would they? I would do my practicing at home. Any Garand or M-14 (M-1A) can easily lower the hammer without dry firing.

 

[Reloadron]

Marine Corps boot camp allotted 2 weeks on the range. The first week is "snapping in" during which time rifles like the M1 Garand and M14 were dry fired thousands of times daily.

Can a firing pin break? Yes, absolutely. Will dry fire break a firing pin? Not at all likely, when they break, they break. Chalk it up to an act of God.

Ron

 

[Flatbush Harry]

Free-floating firing pins can be safely dry-fired. The M1 Garand and M14/M1A have free-floating firing pins...they can be safely dry-fired. While I have yet to break a firing pin, I have several spares for the day it happens, since technology more complicated than a knife and fork can always let you down. I also have a bolt disassembly tool, useful for getting the firing pin out, but then, I have more than one Garand so it proves useful.

Harry

 

[kBob]

Don't forget that returning from "INSPECTION, ARMS!" includes dry firing as does rod clearing after a day at the range for troop units ("No Brass or AMMO!")

BTW the cleaning rod handle with the screw driver on one end and the cut out and teat on the other that fits the segmented cleaning rod carried in the M-1 Rifle in later years can be used to disassemble and re assemble the bolt.

It can also be used on the M-14 bolt.

I do not think it likely that dry firing is any more likely to break the M-1 firing pin than live firing......but in the little red tackle box full or M-1 stuff in the shop is a spare firing pin.....also a few other parts and springs. Life Happens.

-kBob

 

[Bart B.]

Why dry fire at a rifle match?

When shooting prone, it's a good way to check your body and trigger finger position on the trigger lever. As the sear releases and your finger slams the trigger lever against its stop, that wiggles the rifle a little bit. If you're not pulling the finger lever straight back with a repeatable hand position on the stock grip, the sight will appear to jump off its intended aiming point; to the left if the finger's not in far enough for a right handed shooter.

Easier to see with a scope, but good eyesight can see the front sight on a service rifle jump 1/3 MOA across the target from that 4.5 pound plus trigger slamming home if it's pulled off at some angle.

 

[Reloadron]

When taking your M1 Garand out for a day at a match or leisurely shooting it never hurts to always have a spare firing pin, extractor, ejector and associated springs in your range bag. Post #15 Act of God.

You can invest in a bolt dissemble tool as Flatbush Harry mentions or some just use a spent case and a drift punch to dissemble the bolt and replace any broken parts. When I was doing quite a few I used a 6" C Clamp and a cut down 30-06 case, a 45 ACP case works well too.

Anyway, it never hurts to have several spare parts in the range bag the least of which is a spare firing pin cause broken ones don't work worth a darn.

Ron